Dispensing apparatus for liquids.



No. 791,040. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905. S. W. MORAN. DISPENSING APPARATUSFOR LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wi EEEEE FWMZ IQ/E' E ]ILEIK w WWW No. 791,040. PATENTBD MAY 30, 1905. As. w. MORAN. DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED 113.12. 1903.

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STATES Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN WV. MORAN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOSAMUEL H. HELLEN, OF WAKEFIELD, MAS- SAOHUSETTS.

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS. A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,040, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed February 12, 1903. Serial No. 143.092.

To all whom it 717 04 concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. MORAN, of Brookline, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dispensing Apparatus for Liquids, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus forliquids, such as are used in bar-rooms, and more especially in theapparatus for which Letters Patent of the United States, numbered710,291 and bearing date September 80, 1902, were issued to me and inwhich novel means were shown and claimed whereby the liquid could bereturned from the delivery-pipe into the barrel or other receptacle inwhich it was stored without roiling up the contents of the same, andfrom which the liquid had to be forced by pneumatic pressure applied tothe top of the receptacle above the liquid contained therein.

My present invention has for its object to provide means whereby thepipes may be easily and quickly washed out after the liquid has beenreturned to the receptacle from the discharge-pipe.

The invention consists of the novel construction, arrangement, andcombinations of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter andparticularly set forth in the claims, and itis carried out substantiallyas illustrated on the accompanying drawings, which form an essentialpart of this specification, and whereon like characters of referencerefer to like parts wherever they occur on the different parts of thedrawings.

On the drawings, Figure .1 represents diagrammatically my improveddispensing apparatus, showing two receptacles containing liquid to bedispensed, the device to return the liquids to said receptacle from thedischargepipes, and my improved device for washing out the pipes. Fig. 2represents across-section of the deliverypassage immediately back of thedelivery-faucet and showing the means whereby air is admitted to thedischarge-passage in order to return the liquid to the barrel or otherreceptacle and also showing the means whereby the water or other liquidused in washing out the pipes may be admitted to the discharge-passage.Fig.3 represents a vertical section through the valves which control theflow of air and the flow of the cleaning liquid to thedischarge-passage. Fig. 4 represents a sectional view similar to thatshown in Fig. 2, but of a slightly-modified construction of my improveddevice. Fig. 5 represents a detail sectional view of a three-way cocksuch as is used in my invention.

The receptacles 1 1 containing the liquid to be drawn are placed withinthe cellar or in some other place below the place where it is desired todraw the liquid. A tap 2 is driven into the receptacle near the bottomof the same, and connected to the tap 2 are one or more three-way cocks3.

A discharge-pipe i is connected at one end of the three-way cock 3 andconveys the liquid from the receptacle 1 to the dischargefaucet 5, fromwhich the liquid may be drawn, as usual. Between the upper end of thepipe 4 and the discharge-faucet 5 I introduce a casing 6, through whichan open communication is formed between the discharge-pipe anddischarge-faucet. It will thus be seen when the tap 2 is open and thepassage in the three-way cock forms communication between the tap andthe discharge-pipe that there will be a free passage for the liquid inthe receptacle 1 to be forced to the discharge-faucet, where it may bedrawn off as desired.

In order to force the liquid from the'receptacle through thedischarge-pipe and to the discharge-faucet, I apply pneumatic pressureto the receptacle above the liquid therein, as usual, and this pneumaticpressure may be obtained by a suitable air-pump or it may be obtainedfrom a reservoir 7 of air, carbonicacid gas, or other suitable materialunder high pressure common to all of the receptacles 1, apressure-regulating valve 8 to reduce said high pressure, a pipe 9 withbranches 10 to the top of each receptacle 1, and a valve 11 in eachbranch pipe. By admitting air or other gas under pressure to the top ofthe receptacles through the pipe 9 and branches 10 I am able to forcethe liquid from the receptacle to the discharge-faucet.

The casing 6 is immediately back of the discharge-faucet and,in fact,thedischarge-faucet is attached directly to said casing. This casingcontains a chamber 12, which is in open communication with thedischarge-pipe and preferably extends to one side from saiddischarge-pipe. WVithin the casing 6 is a passage 13, which extends fromend to end of the casing and preferably at right angles to the flow ofthe liquid through said casing. This passage 13 is provided at itsopposite ends with means, such as the unions 14,whereby a pipe or tube15 may be attached to said casing in open communication with saidpassage and form a communication between the passages 13 in two casingsattached to discharge-faucets which are alongside of each other, or saidunion may form means to attach a pipe or tube 16, the opposite end ofwhich is in open communication with the pipe 9 from the air-supplyreservoir 7. By this meansit will be seen that air or other gas under anequal pressure tothat which is admitted to the receptacles to force theliquid to the discharge-faucet is conveyed through the pipe 16 to thepassage 13 in the first casing 6 and then through this passage and thepipe 15 to the passage 13 in the next casing 6, where there is a seriesof faucets used, and so on to the end of theseries of casings connectedto the said series of faucets.

The chamber 12 preferably ext-ends above the level of the top of thepassage through the casing 6, which is connected to the discharge pipeand faucet, and consequently there will always be a slight quantity ofair penned up in the upper part of this chamber which will form anair-cusion and prevent the liquid from rising to thetop of said chamberfor a purpose to be understood by the complete description hereincontained and as described in my former patent. The upper part of thechamber 12 is connected to the passage 13 by means of the small passage17, which is controlled by a valve 18, having a handle 19 or other meansof operation which extends through the counter or bar 20 into aconvenient place to be operated. As the pressure upon the liquid in thisreceptacle is equal to the pressure on the air or other gas in thepassage 13, it will be understood that when the valve 18 is turned so asto open communication through the passage 17 into the chamber 12 therewill be an equal pressure upon the top and the bottom of the liquidcontained within the discharge-pipe and this liquid will return to thereceptacle by its own weight, the speed at which the liquid will returnbeing controlled by the size of the passage 17 and the consequent speedat which the air will flow through said passage.

The above description of my device, with the exception of the three-waycock 3, introduced between the tap 2 and the discharge-pipe 1, issubstantially that of the device covered in my above-mentioned patentand to which my present improvements are added.

' When liquids such as beer, ale, porter, and similar beverages havebeen drawn through the discharge-pipe and have stood in'suchdischarge-pipe for several days, although they have been returned totheir respective receptacles at night, there is liable to be a coat ingcollect upon the interior of the discharge pipe or pipes, and the pipesare therefore liable to become foul and unwholesome. It is the principalobject of my present invention to provide novel and convenient means forproperly removing this coating and cleansing the pipes, and this Iaccomplish in substantially the following manner: A pipe 21 is connectedto a suitable supply of water under pressure, which is supplied eitherby means of a suitable pump (not shown on the drawings) or by beingconnected directly to the street-main, the latter being preferable. Thispipe 21 is in open communication with one of the passages of a three-waycook 22, another passage of which cock is in open communication with apipe 23, the upper end of which preferably extends along the under sideof the bar or counter 20 and has a branch 24 extending from said pipeand communicating with a passage 25, leading into the chamber 12 withinthe casing 6, said branch-pipe being connected to the casing by means ofa union 26 or by other means, as desired. The passage is controlled by asuitable valve 27, which is operated by a suitable handle 28 in a mannersimilar to the valve 18. It will thus be seen that the three-way cock 22may be turned in such a manner as to connect the pipes 21 and 23, andthereby carry a supply of water to the valves 27 within the casing 6 ateach discharge-faucet.

The three-way cock at the lower end of each discharge-pipe has one ofits passages provided with a discharge-nozzle 29, which may be a shortnozzle, as shown, may lead to a suitable drain or may be connected tothe sewer, as is the more convenient, and this valve may be operated sothat a free passage will be formed between the discharge-pipe and thedischarge-nozzle.

When the liquid from the discharge-pipe 4 has been returned to thereceptacle 1 by opening the valve 18 and equalizing the pressure onopposite sides of said liquid and the water has been allowed to flow tothe valve 27 by the operation of the three-way cook 22, as hereinabovedescribed, it will be understood that the discharge-pipe may be flushedand cleansed with water from the passage 25 if the three-way cock 3 isoperated, so as to connect the discharge-pipe 4 and discharge-nozzle 29,which will also close the passage from the receptacle 1 through saidthree-way cock, and the valve 27 is opened so as to admit water from thepassage 25 through the chamber 12, discharge-pipe 4t, three-way cock 3,and discharge nozzle 29. This flow of water through the discharge-pipewill be in a direction opposite to that of the liquid from thereceptacle, and consequently any particles which may be caught withinsaid pipe will be more liable to be dislodged and carried out with thewater than they would if the flow of water was in the same direction asthat of the liquid. By this means the dischargepipe may be washed withwater whenever it is desired, and therefore will be kept clean and in ahygienic condition with but a very slight amount of trouble and withoutthe loss of any of the liquid from the receptacle, as there are nocouplings to be connected and disconnected, but the object isaccomplished by the operation of valves only.

It has been found when pipes are used to convey beer, ale, and othersimilar liquids that there is a coating formed on the interior of thepipes which is not easily removed by the use of clear water, butrequires a solution of sal-soda or other cleansing chemical or com-.pound. In order to provide means whereby the discharge-pipes of myimproved apparatus may be cleansed with a suitable cleansingpreparation, I provide the device with a receptacle 30 to contain aquantity of the cleansing preparation, which receptacle is connected tothe air-pressure pipe 9 by a pipe 31, controlled by a valve 32 of anysuitable form and of which air-pressure may be admitted to receptacleabove the liquid contained therein and which will tend to force saidliquid from the receptacle. The lower end of the receptacle 30 isconnected by the pipe 33 to one of the passages of the three-way cock 22and may be connected to the pipe 23 by the proper operation of saidthree-way cock. It will thus be seen when it is desired to cleanse thedischarge-pipe 4i with the cleansing preparation contained within thereceptacle 30 that it is only necessary to admit air-pressure to thereceptacle by the operation of the valve 32 and to open communicationbetween the pipe 33 and the pipe 23 by the operation of the threewaycock 22, when the preparation will flow through said pipes to the valve27 which controls the passage 25. The discharge-pipe may then becleansed by said preparation in a manner similar to that when cleansingsaid discharge-pipe with clear water from the pipe 21.

If it is desired, there may be a quantity of the cleansing preparationleft in the dischargepipe for any desired length of time, so as to allowit to thoroughly dissolve the coating from the discharge-pipes. Afterthe pipe has been cleansed with this cleansing preparation it may berinsed out by clean water from the pipe 21, as above described, if sodesired.

By the use of my improved device it will be understood that the loss ofthe liquid caused by its remaining within the discharge-pipe for anumber of hours can beprevented and also that I am able to alwayscleanse the pipes and to keep them sweet and hygienic.

In Figs. 1 and 2 on the drawings I have shown two independent valves 18and 27 to control, respectively, the admission of air and water to thechamber 12; but it is within my invention to combine these two valvesinto a single valve 34, as shown in Fig. 4, which will then constitute athree-way cock and control both the air and the water passages; In somerespects this latter construction is the preferrecl construction, as Iam able to make the casing 6 more compact and can have thedischarge-faucets on a bar or counter closer together than when thereare two separate valves used. It will also be seen that when the air andwater passages are controlled by the same valve, as shown in Fig. 4:,there will be no danger of the water, which is under the superiorpressure, ever entering the air-passage by the air-controlling valvebeing left open when the water-controlling valve is opened.

By the use of my improved device every part is connected and ready foruse without having to make connections between the parts other than byoperating certain valves. Any sediment or loose particles of grain whichmay be forced into the discharge-pipe when the latter part ofareceptacle containing heavy liquid-such as ale, beer, or other heavymalted liquids are usedmay be washed out of the discharge-pipe beforeanother full receptacle is attached or before any of the contents of anew receptacle has been allowed to enter the discharge-pipe.

As the device used in cleansing each discharge-pipe of a series ofdischarge-pipes is independent of those for the other dischargepipes, itwill be seen that the several discharge-pipes may be cleaned out whileliquid is being dispensed from the other dischargepipes, andconsequently they may be cleaned at any time either during businesshours or afterward, as is the most convenient.

I wish it to be understood that although I have illustrated the use of athree-way cock independent from the tap said three way cock may itselfform the valve of the tap without departing from my invention and thatsuch a construction would readily suggest itself to any mechanic skilledin the art and would be a mechanical equivalent of the constructionshown.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and theoperationof my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent andclaim- 1. In a dispensing apparatus for liquids, a receptacle for theliquid, a discharge-pipe from said receptacle, an air-pipe underpressure connected to the top of said receptacle to force the liquidfrom the receptacle through the discharge-pipe, a discharge-faucet onsaid discharge-pipe, a three-way cock on the discharge-pipe at itsconnection to the receptacle for the liquid having one passage incommunication with the receptacle for liquid, another passage incommunication with the discharge-pipe, and the remaining passage incommunication with a waste, a water-pipe under pressure, a fittingattached directly to the discharge-faucet and the upper end of thedischarge-pipe, said fitting having an air-passage communicating withthe said air-pipe under pressure, a water-passage communicating with thesaid water-pipe under pressure, both passages communicating with thedischarge-pipe, and a single valve in the fitting controlling both theair and the water 'passages in the fitting, whereby air may be admittedto the upper end of the discharge-pipe and allow the liquid to return tothe receptacle by gravity or water may be admitted to the upper end ofthe discharge-pipe by the operation of the valve in said fitting andsaid water be wasted by the manipulation of the three-way cock at thelower end of the discharge-pipe, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a dispensing apparatus for liquids, a receptacle for the liquid, adischarge-pipe from said receptacle, a pipe under pressure eonneeted tothe top of said receptacle to force the liquid through thedischarge-pipe, a discharge-faucet on said discharge-pipe, a resertionwith the receptacle for the liquid, another passage in communicationwith the dischargepipe and the remaining passage in communication with awaste whereby the entire discharge-pipe may be cleansed with thecleansing preparation from the reservoir and rinsed with water from thewater-pipe both flowing in a direction opposite to the liquid from thereceptacle for liquid and while there is liquid under pressure remainingin said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHEN W. MORAN.

Witnessesz HENRY CI-IADBOURN, SAMUEL H. I'IELLEN:

